Santiago de Queretaro is the capital city of the Mexican state known for its wineries and unique museums, usually referred to as Queretaro City in English. It’s a prosperous industrial city of a million and a half near Mineral de Pozos and San Miguel de Allende. It has a large historic center dating back to the 1500s and an impressive aqueduct still standing.
It’s way down the list of the most popular cities in Mexico for foreign visitors, though, which results in comfortable hotels like BeWow Queretaro often coming in below $65 a night with breakfast and taxes.
There are several types of hotels to choose from in this city, all of which are good value, but most fall into two camps: those in historic buildings in the center and larger, recently built properties on the outskirts by the highways. Most of the chain hotels geared to business travelers are in the latter group, so the options that will earn you some loyalty points are not very convenient for sightseeing.
BeWow is a nice middle-ground option: within walking distance to the center but large enough to have free parking and a swimming pool. Rooms are ample size and comfortable.
That parking area is extensive, which was good for us because I arrived with a tour group I was leading through central Mexico, and we had a van full of people to check in. That walled parking lot provides a nice buffer, too. Even though the address of this hotel is on a major road, it sits back far enough from it that rooms here are surprisingly quiet.
One big feature here that you don’t find in many hotels in the center is that there’s a nice swimming pool in a courtyard area. There are lounge chairs and some tables with chairs to enjoy the outdoors in a climate that’s almost always sunny. There’s no bar out here or inside the hotel, but there is a vending machine dispensing sodas and snacks.
BeWow Food and Drink Options
At the entrance to the hotel, there are two commercial establishments: a cantina where you can order a cocktail or beer, plus an Italian restaurant called Il Diavolo, where we had dinner. It was quite good, with attentive service and a few excellent Mexican wines to try, though it’s not a great place for a quiet conversation if it’s full since it’s all hard surfaces and no sound absorption.
If you don’t like that option, there are plenty of others within a few blocks serving Mexican, Argentinian, Spanish, pizza, and burgers/wings. There’s a huge La Comer supermarket a long block away and then a lot of great coffee shops and bars a bit further in the historic center of this UNESCO World Heritage city.
Breakfast is included in the rates, and though you might not be wowed by the offerings, it’s a solid range of hot and cold items, from heavy Mexican faves like chilaquiles to egg dishes, fruit, pastries, and fresh-squeezed juices. It’s all buffet style and self-service, so you can eat in the indoor dining room or out in the patio area.
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Not Wow Rooms, but Nice Ones
An elevator or stairs will take you to several floors of rooms that are mostly identical. There are some billed as junior suites for $7 more in the rates, but they’re just a slightly larger version of the norm.
Rooms are average size but were renovated when the name and management of the hotel changed. Now, you’ll find comfy kings or two double beds on laminate wood floors, with a typical hotel room layout of a desk, chairs, dresser, and closet.
There’s no fridge in the rooms, but you do have an electronic safe and an attractive bathroom with soap, shampoo, and conditioner supplied. The Wi-Fi worked well during my stay, and there’s a glass-enclosed conference room off the lobby if you need to do some collaborating.
The thermostat worked and the windows open, which were both a plus, but one big downside to these rooms is that there’s no reading light of any kind by the bed: not on the bedside table or even overhead. Thankfully, I had a Kindle reader with me for bedtime.
You can book directly with the hotel, though the site is in Spanish only. Since rates don’t vary much between there and online booking sites like Expedia, you might as well book with whichever one you usually use. Expect to pay between $63 and $70, including taxes, fees, and breakfast.
Check rates online at Expedia, Booking.com, or Hotels.com.
Review and photos by Tim Leffel, who paid a group rate when leading a tour through three cities and two magic towns in central Mexico. As always, all opinions are his own.
